PERFECT SALVATION: ITS ESSENTIALITY Romans 6:22: “Being made free from sin, … ye have your fruit unto holiness.”

Full salvation having been defined as the deliverance of the soul from sin as an hereditary taint in soul, is there any necessity in Christian life for such a work of grace? Is not regenerating grace sufficient to overcome the tendencies of inward sin to develop into wrong acts, words, tempers?

Assuredly, regenerating grace does so re-enforce the moral power of the soul as that it may overcome the uprisings of the uncleanness of the heart.

But, as a matter of experience, the presence of indwelling sin, co-existent with pardoning grace, begets in the soul such painful dissatisfaction with its spiritual state, puts it at such a disadvantage in the conflict with temptations, and is such a weakening force in the presence of duties, crosses, and services, that the child of God is frequently and easily brought into defeat and captivity by this sinful tendency. Full salvation having been attained, Christian life becomes harmonized with itself; its discordant notes are hushed; its variable moods disappear; it passes to a revised, improved, and enlarged edition. Full salvation is essential to Christian life in several particulars. 1 . Full salvation is essential to satisfactory growth in grace.

Growth in grace is indispensable to a sustained, justified relation to God.

Growth in the regenerate state, notwithstanding prayer, watchfulness, and effort, is commonly unsatisfactory; it is slow, inconstant, difficult. Much of it is growth in the collaterals of Christian life, which is not growth in grace at all; such as expansion in the knowledge of doctrines and principles, improvement in ease and facility of service, enlargement in attachment and loyalty to the Church. All this desirable and invaluable development of Christian life may be mistaken for growth in grace — indeed, may conceal a lack of growth in grace. A soldier of the regiment in which the writer served during the war was remarkable for his rapid mastery of the manual and movements of the drill, the facility with which he developed the soldierly mien and action putting many of his comrades to shame. But there was no corresponding growth in loyalty and heroism; for he became a consummate coward, and finally deserted. Even so enlargement in some elements of Christian life may co-exist with decadence in grace. Growth in grace means more meekness, more gentleness, more goodness, more devotion, more spirituality, and more Christliness, and no development of incidental qualities can compensate for the absence of enrichment and enlargement in grace. Not a few of God’s earnest, faithful children toil, watch, wait, and wonder why growing in grace is so difficult and so discouragingly slow; that so much thought and labor adds so little to spiritual stature. This is so contradictory to the growth process elsewhere. Growth in nature is easy and constant. “Behold the lilies how they grow; they toil not.” What is it that obstructs the growth-forces in grace, rendering it slow variable, and unsatisfactory? Is it not sin in the soul, which, like an uncongenial climate, makes it a struggle for the fruit of the Spirit to mature? Spiritual life is a tropical plant; it is begotten by a baptism of fire; frigidness is inimical to its enlargement. Sin in the heart is an iceberg, creating an atmosphere which chills and pinches the growth-forces of the soul. The removal of all sin rids the heart of this depressing and unfavorable atmosphere, and brings in the warm, invigorating climate of the summerland of perfect love. “The Lord into his garden comes; The spices yield their sweet perfumes, The lilies grow and thrive.” The graces all take a new start. Growth is easy, constant, adequate The soul becomes a garden of the Lord, teeming with magnificent specimens of patience, gentleness, goodness, meekness, heavenly-mindedness; the life, “like a tree planted by a river of waters, bringeth forth fruit in its season; its leaf also doth not wither.”

Full salvation opens in the soul the artesian well of water, “springing up unto everlasting life,” which keeps it thrifty and productive in grace. Here is the plaint which comes from the Christian heart that has not found this more excellent way of advancement in grace. Said a ministerial friend, whom I have known for twenty years, whose earnestness, fidelity, and genuineness of Christian character has been commendable: “I do not believe I am as patient, sweet-spirited, and as forbearing under trial and opposition as in my early Christian life; my in crease in love, faith, joy, and spirituality has been discouragingly meager; indeed, as to fervency of love and intensity of joy, they are not what I have once known. “ “What,” I said to him, “do you think has defeated you in your earnest purpose to increase in the love and knowledge of God?” “O, it has been my heart. Had I a heart from sin set free, it would have been different.” This experience finds its echoes in the widespread confessions of spiritual failure to grow in grace which come up from God’s people everywhere. When full salvation becomes the common, as it is now the exceptional, experience of God’s people, then shall they grow as the palm and become as the cedars of Lebanon. 2 . Full salvation is essential to the best manifestations of Christian life.

Every Christian should present constancy, earnestness, and rectitude of conduct; but with such a commendable exhibition of religious character, there may commingle a spirit of petulance, censoriousness, sensitiveness or unspiritualness, as shall disarm it of the moral force which its otherwise admirable qualities would impart to it as an expression of piety. No beauty of uprightness, nor glow of generosity, nor excellence of Churchly devotion can compensate for the depreciating effects of a wrong tone of feeling in our Christian life upon souls about us in the home and in society.

The world, in its ultimate test, estimates Christian life as it does coin — not by its appearance or superscription, but by its ring. If it gives out a sweet, unworldly, unselfish tone, it passes current; but if a harsh, discordant, unChristly note, it is repudiated, whatever other excellent qualities it may possess. Much Christian life seems worse than it is; it is judged hypo. critical when it is real and true; it does not go for what it is worth. Why is it? It is the distorting effects of uncleansed sin in the heart, betraying it into hasty words, bad feelings, or spasms of temper. Said an intelligent, active Christian woman to the writer: “I am greatly humbled. My little daughter asked me yesterday, ‘Mamma, are you a Christian?’ I said to her, ‘Why do you ask me that? Don’t I go to church and class-meeting and prayer-meeting, and read the Bible to you, and talk to you about your soul?’ ‘O yes, mamma: but you speak so loud, and look so awful at me, when I don’t mean to be naughty, I thought maybe you were not a Christian.’ That was a barbed arrow to my heart. I am so ashamed that, with all my show of religious effort, my own child suspects the reality of my piety. Do tell me what it is that robs my Christian life of its spiritual power over my own family?”

I ventured to assure her that the seat of the trouble was in her heart; that the uncleansed evil there was the source of the petulance and crossness which, despite her earnest purpose to exhibit a true Christian spirit, neutralized the influence of all that was otherwise good in her personal influence. At once she replied: “It must be, it must be. I will be delivered from it. Soon after she entered into the blessing of full salvation. Within one year both of her children were converted under her own prayers. Would we have a Christian life, whose influence shall be sweet, beneficent, irresistible, so far as convincing friends and foes of the reality and power of Divine grace, we must consent to and receive a complete freedom from sin in our hearts. Two young ladies, who were sisters, when asked: “Why have you become Christians?” replied, “O, we resisted as long as we could; but mother’s sweet spirit, bright face, and ceaseless songs, amidst trials, cares, and discouragements, broke us down. We felt we must have a religion like hers.” She had full salvation.